Community of Our Lady of Peace

July 2016

07/30/2016

Steven Thomas Moy would have celebrated his 65th birthday today. Instead, the doors of Our Lady of Peace Church will be opened for his funeral Mass, celebrated by Father Bartholomew Daly, on Wednesday, August 3, 2016, at ten in the morning. Steven died unexpectedly on June 23 after a brief illness.

Born in Manhattan, Steven was the eldest son of Moy Nam Hling and Eva Majetich. Steven's father, who later adopted the name George, was born in Canton, China, and immigrated to Chicago, Illinois. George Moy was in the laundry business, where he met Eva Mejetich, a young woman of Croatian descent. The couple eventually located in New York, where their three children were born.

The family experienced hard times in New York. When Steven's mother was hospitalized for a lengthy illness, the children were sent to the Catholic orphanage, St. Joseph's Home for Children, in Peekskill. After the family was reunited, Steven and his siblings, Sharon Lucille and Don Nicholas, attended Saint Catherine of Genoa School on 153rd Street in Manhattan. Steven and his brother served as altar boys at Our Lady of Esperanza Church.

"The church was always our first home," said Sharon Moy. "The Catholic schools were stability."

As children, both Steven and Sharon competed in yo-yo contests. Steven won second place in the boy's competition held at the World's Fair in 1965, and was a champion of the Duncan Yo-Yo New York City Spinning Contest. As an adult, Steven delighted in putting on shows for kids, and he performed at the parish talent show. His email moniker was "yoyomoy."

After graduating from George Washington High School in Washington Heights, Steven was self-employed, and developed electrical contracting and alarm system businesses. He worked on projects for many of the residents in the Treadwell Farm Historic District, according to Julianne Bertagna, president of the neighborhood association. Steven served on the committee that researched and selected an inclinator device so that handicapped and infirm individuals could access the sanctuary of Our Lady of Peace.

A life-long fascination with mechanics led Steven to develop an interest in cameras and how they work, which led to his avocation as a photographer.

"He liked capturing an image, telling a story," his sister said. "He took many photos of homeless people, and his images are a way of letting people see his compassion."

Steven Moy also took photographs of the interior and exterior of Our Lady of Peace, some of which he entered in the New York Landmarks Conservancy Sacred Sites Photo Contest, but mostly he photographed the people. His chronicle of the events preceding the church closure, the NYC Mass Mob and the Founders Day Procession and Mass, and those special services, such as the September Service of Prayer and Music for Childhood Cancer Awareness and December Follow Mary: A Festival of Lessons & Carols, that were held at the steps, are a testimony of the spiritual journey of his extended family - the parishioners of Our Lady of Peace.

"He was a kind and generous man," said Tami Ellen McLaughlin, special events coordinator. "He gave me his two tickets to see Pope Francis in Central Park last year. I got to know him as our parish events photographer, and I was so happy whenever he could attend."

"Steven always smiled and was gentle with kids," noted Jessica Bede, rosary captain. "His caveat for volunteering to help at the steps was contingent on how his wife, Ana, was feeling. He was her caregiver. His priorities were always intact."

Steven Moy and Ana Soto were married by Father Daly at Our Lady of Peace seven years ago. "Ana was the love of his life," his sister said.

Steven is survived by his wife, Ana Soto; his mother, Eva Moy, who resides in California; his sister, Sharon Moy, and his brother-in-law, David Borgen, who reside in Piedmont, California; his brother, Don, who resides in Santa Monica, California; his niece, Lena Moy-Borgen, and her husband, Zack Tinkelman, who reside in Queens; his nephew, Max Moy-Borgen; his niece, Allison Moy-Borgen; his grand-nephew, Nathan Tinkelman; and his sisters-in-law, Terry Gavin and Maria Celine Soto, who resides in Queens.

In lieu of flowers, charitable contributions may be made to the Friends of Our Lady of Peace, Inc. in memory of Steven Moy. Friends of Our Lady of Peace, Inc.1173‐A Second Avenue P.O. Box 263 New York, NY 10065

"Blessing the People" by Steven Moy. Photographed at Our Lady of Peace Founders Day Mass, April 26, 2015.

07/26/2016

7 PM - 2000 Hail Mary DevotionPersonal Written PetitionsDeposition of the Petitions in the UrnSolemn HymnsPraying of the 15 Mysteries of the Rosary(This is an event that will be spread out over several hours. At the first break, the steps will be illuminated.)

9:00 PM - Illumination of the Steps (Non-wax candles will be provided. Please do not bring wax candles to the steps if they are not already in suitable glass containers.)

(Non-wax candles will be supplied. Please do not bring wax candles to the steps unless they are already in suitable glass containers.)

WHERE TO GO FOR BREAKS Silver Star Diner (Open until 12 Midnight) East 65th Street and Second Avenue; Ritz Diner (24 Hours) East 62nd Street and First Avenue; Moonstruck Diner (24 Hours) at East 58th Street and Second Avenue;

Please be advised that this is an OUTDOOR event and that there are no facilities open at the church. Only water will be supplied for participants during the Anniversary events. Our Lady of Peace Church, 239-241 East 62nd Street, New York, New York.

07/23/2016

Next week will mark the first anniversary of Our Lady of Peace as a church on the street. While parishioners are developing plans for a vigil, the rosary group will commemorate the beginning of the 54-Day Rosary, which has endured through seven cycles of novenas, on the first of August. Along the way, stalwart parishioners have survived the harshness of the seasons, but have encountered the ravages of time - sickness, death, disparity, and Satan. The faithful attribute their journey to the grace of God with the protection of the Blessed Mother, the patron of Our Lady of Peace.

On a daily basis. the church on the street lives the prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel. Rosary captain Jessica Bede reflected: "I loved that prayer as a child because we pray that he 'cast into hell, Satan and all those seeking the ruin of souls.' Often, I wonder why we have been allowed to continue, and then, I am forced to pray harder for my enemies. Along the way, I was instructed to refer to my enemies as those who just sin differently than I do. It makes it much easier to pray for them considering sin our common denominator rather than title, status, net worth, or good deeds."Yesterday, on a hot Friday evening, a small group gathered early at the steps before the rosary began and spoke about the daily trials each individual is facing: Serious trials, not the typical chatter of women about the unavailability of things at the market, nor the dinner they were or were not invited to attend, but the trials of life, illness, family, spiritual equivocation and finances. The small group included seven of the original members of the Our Lady of Peace Rosary Group, its core in the darkest of times, and people who have shared intimate pain and suffering along with the closing of their church. One person was compelled to come, having begun the rosary on a city bus on her mobile phone; yet, something drew her to the steps. There was a deacon, not a regular, but one who has prayed with the group on occasion, in attendance as well. The circle of parishioners were resolute in their prayers, and after they completed the evening prayers and petitions, they asked the deacon to bless them. Aware that church law does not allow the laity to bless each other, the deacon's visits to the church steps have always been a treat, like ice cream during the dog days of summer. Imagine a blessing after prayers as spiritual dessert.The deacon graciously blessed the group. Then he said, in his prayers, he felt that Our Lady was compelling him to do something more. So he had brought with him blessed oils - St Joseph’s and St. Anthony's - to anoint them.

Those who joined on the phone for the rosary were disappointed that the blessing and anointing could not be sent via the phone line.

Those at the steps each knew why he was sent to them. They had each suffered, or were suffering even now, a serious illness, or a difficult diagnosis, or a miraculous recovery. It was one of the most palpable moments at the steps, as they stood in a circle, each one waiting for the moment of their anointing.

It was an affirmation that the laity are continuing to do right and prayerful things; an affirmation that the faithful are being challenged on a daily basis, as they venture into uncharted holiness. It was an affirmation that faith grows and is growing, provided we let it.

And, that even without a church roof, these are still the children of the Almighty who have worth.

07/18/2016

A year ago today, a simple prayer request was posted on the Facebook page of the Friends of OLP. It was less than two weeks before Our Lady of Peace would close, when a former parishioner, Aileen Kilcommons, wrote a message on the Facebook page and asked the prayer community to pray for her friend's son. The parish was in turmoil, anticipating the the closure of the church, the last Sunday Mass and an All-Night Vigil, and the final four Masses at the end of July. Turning to the social media community, in addition to Our Lady of Peace Prayer Group to lift up prayers, within days, hundreds of people joined the parish in prayers online for Timothy, who was near death on a ventilator. The number of people grew to more than a thousand, some writing a simple, "Amen," while others wrote heartfelt prayers.

Soon the parishioners were locked outside the church, praying the 54-Day Rosary. The leaders of the rosary added Timothy's name to the daily petitions, and when they reached the thanksgiving phase of the novena, they gave thanks for Timothy's progress. With each improvement, Aileen would send the social media team her update through Facebook Messenger. Since Timothy was a young man, the parishioners also prayed to St. Therese of Liseaux, and featured a photograph of her statue in the garden behind the church with their post. Online prayers were also offered to the Blessed Mother to intervene for Timothy's recovery. More than 2500 people offered their continued prayers online.

The response from Timothy Breen can be found embedded in the February 28, 2016 post on Facebook. This is a true testimony to the use of social media, prayer and healing. This is God's work, and it is marvelous in our eyes:

"I would personally like to thank all of you who have kept me in their thoughts and prayers throughout my recovery. I am Timothy Breen and I was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome in July of 2015. I have come a long way in my recovery since then; I am not fully healed yet but it is amazing how far I have come in the past seven months. The week I was diagnosed in July I went from waking up and not being able to walk on a Tuesday to waking up early on a Friday morning and not being able to breathe. It was a shock to all of those who knew including myself. From that time on I could not breath on my own and was on a ventilator for four months and I did not have the ability to move anything below my neck. After the disease had practically destroyed my nervous system I began on a long recovery. For the first month I stayed in the Neurological Intensive Care Unit at Columbia-Presbyterian. Two months after my diagnosis I was transferred to a rehabilitation facility where I began intensive physical therapy. It was there that I slowly began to make small movements in my arms. I continued therapy everyday for another two months. At the end of October I became independent of the ventilator and I was transferred to facility that was closer to home. It was there in the middle of November that I began to take my first steps. I continued my therapy everyday and continued to get better at walking. On December 23, 2015 I returned home for the first time in six months. Today, my recovery still continues, and I attend outpatient therapy twice a week. I am now able to walk without a cane and perform most of my daily activities without assistance of others or any other devices. I plan on returning to work next week and I will return to college in the fall. Through the thoughts, prayers, and wishes of many (including all of you) I have made a huge accomplishment in my recovery. I believe miracles can happen and that what has happened to me is nothing short of one. Not just my recovery but the journey I have been on the last six months have taught me about the love and compassion of my family and friends and all of those around me. It has also taught me about fear, vulnerability, and the feeling of being close to death are very real and something that we all experience in our lives. I cannot express how much gratitude I have for all of you who have prayed for me as well as my family, friends, and incredibly skilled and compassionate doctors, nurses, and therapists. I do believe that the power of prayer and spiritual healing have been and are still crucial to my recovery. I would also like to thank Aileen and Katie who brought my story to your prayer group. Thank you for all of you who prayed for me. I will always remember what you have done for me and I will keep your parish in my thoughts and prayers." - Timothy Breen — posted on Friends of Our Lady of Peace Facebook

Once again the people answered. Here are a few of their responses:

"The power of prayer and love...God is always listening, may he continue to bless you, your family, friends and the Our Lady of Peace community." - Chris W.

07/13/2016

For the first time since the church was closed on July 31, 2015, a letter was sent to Our Lady of Peace parishioners from Bishop John J. O'Hara and the Archdiocese of New York Office of Strategic Pastoral Planning. The Bishop's letter reiterates many of the points that were made in a meeting held on June 17 at the Church of Saint John the Evangelist: namely, that the Archdiocese is engaged in conversations and has been pursuing negotiations to sell Our Lady of Peace to the Coptic Orthodox Church.

Meanwhile, 285 parishioners, neighbors, and local business people signed a letter to Cardinal Dolan asking him to suspend further negotiations while the Vatican appeals process continues. The letter, including 60 pages of signatures, was faxed to Rome and delivered to the Office of the Cardinal yesterday. A hard copy was sent to the Papal Nuncio in Washington, D.C. The overwhelming response from parishioners, neighbors and local businesses to the letter to the Cardinal, made it possible for leaders of the effort to save Our Lady of Peace to gather many signatures in a week's time, including during the July 4th weekend. The response demonstrated support for the recourse process itself, and the desire of many to reopen the church of Our Lady of Peace for public and private prayer, regular masses and the sacraments.

The Congregation for the Clergy issued an Interlocutory Decree on June 16, having accepted for further study both recourses against the Cardinal's decrees, the first changing the boundaries of Saint John the Evangelist and the second decree merging Our Lady of Peace with Saint John the Evangelist. A parishioner from St. Vincent Ferrer-St. Catherine of Siena also filed recourse against the boundary decree. The Congregation decided to combine the recourse submissions because they are interrelated.

Nevertheless, the Archdiocese of New York, by its pursuit of negotiations to sell the church, is attempting to circumvent the appeals process. Bishop O'Hara's letter holds out the possibility of a weekly mass in the Roman Catholic rite performed in the church after title has changed hands. The obvious question that should be asked is this: If it is possible to hold a weekly mass if the church is sold, why isn't it possible to hold a weekly mass right now? If a former priest of Our Lady of Peace can say a mass as a condition of the Coptic Orthodox obtaining title to the church, why can't he say a mass every Sunday now? If this is indeed possible, where is the so-called "priest shortage?" Why was Our Lady of Peace closed at all? Concerned parishioners were encouraged to write letters in response to Bishop O'Hara.

It is obvious that the Archdiocese is determined to sell the property. If the Coptic Orthodox Church is engaged in conversations to purchase a church from the Archdiocese of New York, there are many available churches that are vacant and are not in the middle of an appeal to the Vatican. It does not make sense that the Church of Our Lady of Peace is the only option, and is disingenuous to cloak the sale of the property of Our Lady of Peace in the vestments of ecumenism.

Pope Francis has worked, as have many of his predecessors, toward the goal of Christian unity. In 1973, Pope Paul VI and Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria, Egypt, issued a Common Declaration from the Vatican. This was significant because Alexandria and the Oriental East broke communion with Rome and Constantinople in the fifth century. In 2000, Pope John Paul II traveled to Cairo to meet with Pope Shenouda III. At the first papal Roman Catholic Mass held in Egypt, Pope John Paul II said, ''dialogue and reconciliation will help to find solutions to the problems that still impede full communion.'' On the fortieth anniversary of the historic meeting with Pope Paul VI, Pope Francis met with Pope Tawadros II and gave an address. It was the first time since 1973 that that the Coptic Orthodox Pope visited the Vatican.

The parishioners of Our Lady of Peace are deeply mindful of the persecution of Christians throughout the world, and pray daily for peace at the rosary outside the church. They are aware that there are doctrinal differences between Coptic Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism. Such doctrinal differences cannot be resolved by taking title to one church on East 62nd Street in New York City. Those issues need to be resolved at the highest levels of diplomacy between the two faiths, as evidenced by the important steps taken at the meetings between the popes.

[The painting of "Our Lady of Peace" by Donatus Buongiorno was restored in 2009 and is situated above the altar.]